Now that you've established the basics of assessment, you're ready for part two. On this page, you will find a wide range of activities that introduce assessment ideas and provide help in creating rubrics, to get workshop participants thinking and talking about the many ways student learning can be assessed.

1. Prepare Participants for Critical Viewing of Case Study Videos

Before watching a set of videos that demonstrate alternative methods of assessment, ask participants, "What questions do you have about assessment that might be answered by looking carefully at a video of students being assessed in different ways?"

Suggest that participants view the videos shown with particular questions in mind. For example, they can be asked to watch the Aviation High School video while looking for a list of different ways the students were assessed during the course of the project.

2. Watch Case Study Videos

Choose a video from the following list to share with class participants, based on their grade level interest. There are links to accompanying articles from the video pages for more information.

Suggest that small groups (2-4 participants) read and talk about the questions and responses of one expert, or assign particular experts to small groups. There are several options: focus on national experts such as Grant Wiggins or Bruce Alberts, concentrate on individual school personnel (principals and/or teachers and/or students), or assign two or more experts within a category so participants can compare and contrast their comments.

Suggest that participants conduct external research on their expert to see what else he or she has to say about assessment.

Have the class discuss each expert interview, and ask participants, "Did you agree with the expert? Why or why not?"

In groups, have participants discuss the views of the interviewees with whom they most agreed or disagreed and explain their position.

Have the small groups present their findings to the large group. Participants may develop a presentation, role-play an interview, or report their findings in other ways.

5. Assessment for Understanding

Introduce the concept of performance assessment to the class, by having participants read "Assessment for Understanding," and then follow these steps:

Ask participants, "What did you think of the article?"

Have participants discuss the section or sections of the article that affected them most, and ask them, "Why did they affect you?"

Have participants take a position, either pro or con, on the assessment model, create a presentation defending their position, and present it to the group.